Kaiser’s first state tournament game went exactly like its entire regular season.
The Cougars won their 11th straight game by at least 20 points, manhandling BIIF champion Konawaena 59-6 in the opening round of the First Hawaiian Bank/HHSAA Football State Championships in Division II on Saturday night.
Quarterback Kahoalii Karratti finished with 108 yards passing and two touchdowns against his former team as the host Cougars won by at least 40 points for the seventh time this season.
The 53-point margin of victory was the largest in the state tournament since Saint Louis beat Waianae 63-10 in the semifinals in 2000. Only Saint Louis’ 56-0 victory over Waimea in the 1999 semis had a wider margin.
"I tell these guys I expect to score every drive and I expect (the defense) to be three-and-out," Kaiser coach Rich Miano said. "(My players) probably think I’m a jerk, but I want them to do their jobs at the highest level. I’m on them at halftime because we’re in the pursuit of perfection.
"We’re never going to get there, but if these guys get complacent or think they are good enough, that’s when you get your butt kicked."
That hasn’t happened at Kaiser since a season-opening 21-7 loss in interleague play against Campbell, which is playing in the Division I state semifinals.
Much was made of Kaiser getting seeded fourth in states. Despite going undefeated through the OIA White with a margin of victory more than 40, the Cougars were seeded behind Lahainaluna, ‘Iolani and Kauai.
Kaiser (11-1) will play at War Memorial Stadium against the Lunas (10-0) next Saturday in the semifinals. Lahainaluna is ranked seventh in the state in the Star-Advertiser Top 10 with Kaiser ninth.
"It’s going to be a tough challenge," said senior Jeshua Bitanga, who rushed for 48 yards and had two interceptions on defense. "This is what we’ve been waiting for all year, a team we can play that has the same potential as us."
Karratti saw many of his former teammates for the first time since transferring from Konawaena in the summer.
Last season, he led the Wildcats to their second of three straight BIIF titles before losing 25-23 to Nanakuli in the opening round.
Kaiser went three-and-out on its opening drive and Karratti was intercepted on the first play of the Cougars’ second drive before they got things rolling.
"Seeing (my old teammates) out there I kind of lost focus at the beginning, I’m not going to lie," Karratti said. "I haven’t seen them since last year."
Kaiser forced six turnovers and made life tough on Konawaena quarterback Brandon Howes, who finished 11-for-39 for 119 yards and four interceptions.
Running back Thomas Buntenbah-Leong got Kaiser going with a 55-yard touchdown run four minutes in and the Cougars took a 28-0 lead on the first play of the second quarter on a 5-yard pass from Karratti to Fitou Fisiiahi.
Dishon Cho scored Konawaena’s only points on a 7-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter.
Kaiser outrushed the Wildcats 150 to negative-2 in the first half.
Konawaena (10-3) fell to 0-5 all-time in the state tournament.
"I want to give credit to these guys because you look at Hilo, you look at some of the teams they beat, they’re the champs of the Big Island," Miano said. "But we feel like if we come out and play well we control our own destiny."
